'Pan Am'

'Pan Am'

ABC

What we said then: "It's not only a much better show than 'The Playboy Club,' but it's also one of the better new drama pilots premiering this season, period. Stylish, well-produced and just plain fun, 'Pan Am' is kind of like 'Mad Men's' sunnier, more optimistic cousin." What we say now: All the promise of the pilot offered quickly dwindled. The show frequently offered bland stories and never quite took advantage of the intrigue of having a spy in their midst. The series recently brought in a new showrunner to right the course, but it may be too late. The fact that ABC didn't pick up the back half of the series doesn't bode well. -- David Eckstein, Zap2it

What we said then: "It's not only a much better show than 'The Playboy Club,' but it's also one of the better new drama pilots premiering this season, period. Stylish, well-produced and just plain fun, 'Pan Am' is kind of like 'Mad Men's' sunnier, more optimistic cousin." What we say now: All the promise of the pilot offered quickly dwindled. The show frequently offered bland stories and never quite took advantage of the intrigue of having a spy in their midst. The series recently brought in a new showrunner to right the course, but it may be too late. The fact that ABC didn't pick up the back half of the series doesn't bode well. -- David Eckstein, Zap2it (ABC)

What we said then: "It's not only a much better show than 'The Playboy Club,' but it's also one of the better new drama pilots premiering this season, period. Stylish, well-produced and just plain fun, 'Pan Am' is kind of like 'Mad Men's' sunnier, more optimistic cousin." What we say now: All the promise of the pilot offered quickly dwindled. The show frequently offered bland stories and never quite took advantage of the intrigue of having a spy in their midst. The series recently brought in a new showrunner to right the course, but it may be too late. The fact that ABC didn't pick up the back half of the series doesn't bode well. -- David Eckstein, Zap2it